tayloe



P. B. TAYLOR. MORTAR CARRIAGE.

PatentedAug. 25, 1891.

(No Hedel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

mz maman., Mmmm@ c.

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Silent 2.

F. B. TAYLOR. Moana GARRIAGB.

Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. B. TAYLOR.

MORTAR CARRIAGE.

No. 458,554. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

@wwwa 544mm wtf/va @Ww 5 M* MWL nu non yrrtn on.. mow-umu., 11mm, n. c.

FENNER B. TAYLOR, OF YVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THEPNEUMATIC GUN CARRIAGE AND POIVER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MORTAR-CARRIAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,554, dated August25, 1891.

Application filed June 2, 1891.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FENNER B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Mortar-Carriages; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

' This invention relates to mortarcarriages.

The object of the invention is to produce a mortar-carriage of simpleand inexpensive construction, whereby the mortar may be elevated ordepressed or trained with great rapidity and ease.

The object of theinvention is, furthermore, to produce a mortar-carriageof such construction that the recoil of the mortar shall be taken up andthe mortar automatically returned to ring position after each firing ina safe and reliable manner.

With these objects in view the invention consists, essentially,in amortar-carriage com prisin g two cylinders having their piston-rodsformed with bearings to receive the trunnions of a mortar, the cylindersbeing mounted in a suitable frame, and links pivoted in the frame andpivotally connected with the bearings for the trunnions, whereby asupport for the mortar is provided.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a mortar-carriage comprising twocylinders having their piston-rods provided with bearings for thetrunnions of the mortar, the cylinders being mounted in a suit-ableframe in such manner as to allow them to vibrate, and links pivotallyconnected with the frame and connected with the bearings for thetrunnions of the mortar.

The invention consists, furthermore, in combination, with a mortarprovided with the usual trunnions and with a toothed segment, of amortar-carriage comprising two cylinders having their pistonrodsprovided with bearin gs for the trunnions of the mortar, alink pivotallyconnected with the base of the' mor- Serial No. 394,876. (No model.)

tar-carriage and with the bearings for the trunnions, a hand-Wheel, apinion mounted on the piston-rod and meshing with the segment on themortar, and a connection between the hand-wheel and the pinion, wherebythe mortar may be elevated or depressed independently of thepiston-rods.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a u Wheels, hook-shapedprojections on the movable part engaging an overhanging rim on thestationary part, the stationary portion being provided with aninternally-toothed ring, and a pinion mounted on the movable part andengaging said toothed ring, and means for imparting rotary motion to thepinion.

The invention consists, furthermore, in various novel details ofconstruction, whereby the objects of the invention are attained.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-Figurel is a side elevation of a mortar constructed in accordance withmy invention, the mortar being shown in firing position. Fig. 2 is arear elevation of my improved carriage, the cylinder andsupporting-links on one side being shown as removed and the base of thecarriage being shown as partly in section. Fig. 8 is a sectional viewshowing the means for attaching the carriage to its supportingrail. Fig.4 is a detail view showing the form of cylinder employed.

In the drawings, A represents a stationary bed-plate, which is providedwith an outer ring a., having an overhanging portion a', and

provided also with an internally-toothed surface a2. This bed-plate isdesigned to be secured permanently to a solid foundation.

B represents a movable portion of the mortar-carriage, which is providedwith suitable wheels b, preferably conical in form, to facilitate properrotary movement. The portion B of the carriage is provided with a seriesof depending hooks or claws b', the lower ends whereof engage theoverhanging portion a of the stationary portion of the frame, therebypreventing raising of the portion B from the stationary bed-plate.

Mounted on a suitable portion D of the frame is a shaft C, the lower endof which is provided with a pinion c, engaging the circular tooth-platea2 of the bed-plate of the carriage. On the upper end of the shaft C isa gear-wheel c', with which meshes a worm c2, to which motion isimparted through a crank c3, mounted adjacent to the gear-wheel. Thus itwill be seen that by giving motion to the worm c2 by the handle c3 themovable part of the carriage through the pinion c and the toothed bar a2will be given a rotary motion in either direction according to the wayin which the handle c3 is turned.

D represents the cylinders designed to contain compressed air andprovided with trunnions d, mounted in suitable bearings in the portion Bof the frame of the carriage. It is designed that one of these cylindersbe placed on each side of the mortar, and the pistonrods d, which extendone each side of the mortar E, are provided with bearings d', receivingthe trunnions e of the mortar. In order to aid in forming a support forthe mortar linksF are provided, one on each side of the mortar, and arepivoted at points f to the portion B of the frame at their lower ends,and at their upper ends are pivoted to the depending portion of thepiston-rods at a point f. The lower rings of the mortar are providedwith plane surfaces e', and against these surfaces bear the guide-platesd2, which are attached to the cylinders D.

One side of the mortar E is provided with a toothed segment e2, and uponasuitable portion of the piston-rod d is placed a pinion G, meshing withthe toothed segment e2, whereby by rotating the segment, the mortar maybe elevated or depressed at will. One means for imparting motion to thissegment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In this form ahand-wheel G is mounted upon a projection from the piston-rod d, and onthe shaft of this hand-wheel is a beveled gear-wheel g, meshing with acorresponding beveled gearwheel g on the shaft g2. The outer end of thisshaft g2 is provided with a worm g3, meshing with the gear-wheel g4, onthe shaft g5 of which is mounted the pinion G. The handwheel G ismounted in a position to be readily grasped by hand, and it will be seenthat by rotating the hand-wheel the mortar may be elevated or depressedat will. Each of the cylinders is provided with an air-inlet d3, throughwhich compressed air is introduced into the lower end of the cylindersfor the purpose of elevating the gun to a firing position, thepiston-head d4 at this position being adjacent to the upper head of thecylinder. Each cylinder is also provided with safety-valves d5,regulating the opening between the interior of the cylinder and thepassage d, which communicates with each end of the cylinder, thepurposes of the valves being to allow escape of the compressed air frombelow the piston-head to a space above it in case the air below thepiston-head is compressed too great a degree to allow proper recoil ofthe mortar.

The operation of the carriage is as follows: When the mortar is fired,the same will recoil, forcing the piston-head d4 downward into thecylinders D, resulting in compressing the air contained in thecylinders, which is already at sufficient pressure to maintain theweight of the mortar and appurtenances. As soon as the force of therecoil is exhausted the compressed air in the cylinder, which is undergreat pressure, will force the piston-heads upward, and consequentlyreturn the mortar to a normal or ring position.

Vhile I have herein described the use of compressed. air in operatingthe gun-carriage, I do not wish to be understood' as claiming it, as theuse of compressed air in connection with gun-carriages is broadlycovered by Letters Patent No. 339,466, dated April 6,1886, issued to thePneumatic Gunl Carriage Com- Pally- Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. A mortar-carriage comprising two cylinders having their piston-rodsformed with bearings to receive the trunnions of a mortar, the cylindersbeing mounted in a suit.- able frame, and links pivoted in the frame andpivotally connected with the bearings for the trunnions, substantiallyas described.

2. A mortar-carriage comprising two cylinders having their piston-rodsprovided with bearings for the trunnions of the mortar, the cylindersbeing mounted in a suitable frame in such manner as to allow them tovibrate, and links pivot-ally connected with the bearings for thetrunnions of a mortar and pivoted in the frame of the carriage,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a mortar provided with the usual trunnions andwith a toothed segment, of a gun-carriage comprising two cylindershaving their piston-rods provided with bearings for the trunnions of themortar, a link pivotally connected with the base of the mortar-carriageand with the bearings of the trunnions, a hand-wheel, a pinion mountedon the piston-rods and meshing with the segment on the mortar, and aings, and compressed-air inlets to the cylinconnection between thehand-wheel and the pinion, substantially as described.

4. A mortar-Carriage comprising two cylinders having their piston-rodsformed with bearings to receive the trunnions of a mortar, links pivotedin the frame of the carriage and pvotally connected with the bearders,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FENNER B. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

WM. P. HUNT, Jr., EDWD. HAMILTON.

